Copy paper pick-off and guide assembly



April 21, 1970 c GOODMAN ET AL 3,507,490

COPY PAPER PICK-OFF AND GUIDE ASSEMBLY Filed Feb. 8, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. l.

INVENTORS Emilio G. Mostroiunni Robe t C. Goodman ATTORNEY April 21, 1970 R. c. GOODMAN ET L 3,507 0 7 COPY PAPER PICK-OFF AND GUIDE ASSEMBLY Filed Feb. 8, 1968 2 SheetsSheet 2 I V A M Fig. 3. 6'Z

56 o Q IN VENTORS Emilio G. Mostroiunni Robert C. Goodman ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,507,490 COPY PAPER PICK-OFF AND GUIDE ASSEMBLY Robert 'C. Goodman, Binghamton, and Emilio G. Mastroianni, Endicott, N.Y., assignors to GAF Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 8, 1968, Ser. No. 704,129 Int. Cl. B65h 5/06 U.S. Cl. 27151 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a developer unit for a reproduction machine having infeed rollers for conveying the copy paper into the developer portion. In order to remove copy paper adhering to the rollers and guide the paper into the developer portion, the invention includes sheet metal guide surfaces which are flexibly mounted on the developer portion through pin connections. The leading edges of the sheet metal guide surfaces are adapted to contact the surfaces of the infeed rollers and be biased thereagainst under the influence of tension spring members.

This invention relates to a guide for conveying copy paper into the developer portion of a photocopy reproduction apparatus and, more particularly, to a novel pick-off and guide device adapted to remove copy paper adhering to the surfaces of a pair of infeed rollers and guide the copy paper into the developer portion of the apparatus.

Various types of photocopy reproduction machines or apparatuses utilize ammonia vapor tanks in the developer portions of the apparatuses. In order to convey the sensitized copy paper into the developer portions of the reproduction apparatuses, cooperative pairs of infeed rollers, driven by suitable motive power sources, are adapted to receive the copy paper in the bight between the rollers and forward the copy paper along. At times the copy paper has a tendency to adhere to the peripheral surface of one or the other of the infeed rollers, and after passing through the bight, rather than moving into the developer portion of the apparatus, will continue upwardly or downwardly into contact with and adhering to one of the roller surfaces. Consequently, the copy paper will envelop the roller and cause a jam-up within the reproduction apparatus which may result in considerable production time losses and necessitate expensive maintenance repairs.

In order to alleviate the aforedescribed problems encountered in conveying the copy paper from the infeed rollers toward the developer portion of the reproduction apparatus, suitable guide surface devices have been developed which will assure removal of the copy paper from the infeed roller surfaces, and provide a passageway for the conveyance of the copy paper into the developer portion. Generally, the guide surfaces consist of upper and lower formed sheet metal sections extending parallel to the infeed rollers. The upstream or leading edge portions of the sheet metal sections contact the peripheral surfaces of the infeed rollers so as to scrape or pick-off copy paper being conveyed between the rollers into the developer portion. The sheet metal sections are bent into a funnel-shaped configuration so as to provide a passageway for the copy paper picked off from the infeed rollers leading into the developer portion of the apparatus. Mounting brackets or clips may be fastened or welded to the sheet metal sections whereby the latter may be mounted onto the walls of the developer portion.

Although the guide surface devices employed in prior "ice art reproduction machines have been found to be generally satisfactory, occasionally problems have been encountered which are the result of the inherent constructional designs and characteristics of these devices. Among the problems have been the frequent inability in having the leading edges of the sheet metal sections contact at all times the surfaces of the infeed rollers. This drawback resulted from the variations in sheet metal manufacturing tolerances, and the eccentricities in the infeed rollers themselves, which when combined, caused gaps to appear between the sheet metal sections and the rollers, thus permitting copy paper adhering to the rollers to be deflected away from the developer portion. The prior art guide surface devices are also subject to dimensional changes and warping effects caused by the elevated temperatures within the developer portion, and to which these devices are subjected. As a result, the copy paper guide devices were and are subject to physical distortions which frequently close off the copy paper passageway into the developer portion, and also prevent the ef fective removal of copy paper tending to adhere to the surfaces of one or the other of the infeed rollers. This, in essence, to a considerable degree, reduces the reliability and effectiveness of presently known and used copy paper sheet metal guide devices as described above.

In order to obviate the foregoing and other disadvantages and problems encountered in the prior art, the present invention provides for an improved and novel copy paper pick-off and guide device adapted to remove copy paper adhering to the surfaces of cooperative infeed rollers, and convey the copy paper into the developer portion of a reproduction apparatus. The device incorporates sheet metal sections flexibly mounted, by means of pin members, to the developer portion of the apparatus. The leading or upstream edges of the sheet metal sections are held in firm contact or compressive relationship with the peripheral surfaces of the infeed rollers, irrespective of production tolerances or thermal effects caused by temperature rises in the developer portion. This compressive contact is maintained through the novel application of resilient tension spring members which bias the leading edges of the sheet metal guide sections toward the infeed roller surfaces, From the foregoing, it becomes readily apparent that the pick-off and guide device according to this invention may be reliably and effectively utilized in conjunction with the developer portions of photocopy reproduction machines.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved and novel pick-off and guide device adapted to convey copy paper from a pair of infeed rollers toward the developer portion of a photocopy reproduction apparatus.

Another object of the present invention is to provide for a pick-off and guide device as described herein including resilient tensioning springs biasing the device toward the infeed rollers so as to remove copy paper tending to adhere to the latter.

A further object of the present invention is to provide for a pick-off and guide device as described herein, adapted to maintain contact with the infeed rollers and convey copy paper into the developer portion from the rollers under all apparatus operating conditions.

These and other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, in section, of pickoff and guide device according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view along line 22 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the sheet metal guide surface member according to the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along line 44 in FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts through out the several views, FIG. 1 illustrates the developer portion of a photocopy reproduction apparatus, generally designated as 10. In essence, the developer portion which may be a well-known type of ammonia developer tank, includes an upper half 12 and a lower half 14. Upper half 12 comprises a front wall 16, upper wall 18, and lower wall 20. Similarly, lower half 14 of developer portion 10 includes a front Wall 22, upper wall 24 and bottom wall 26. Walls and 24 are parallel so as to form a passageway 28 for copy paper being conveyed into developer portion 10. Journaled between side walls 30 (only one shown) of developer portion 10, and in line with passageway 28, are a pair of infeed rollers, consisting of an upper roller 32 and lower roller 34. The rollers 32, 34 may be formed of a suitable rigid material, as for an example, phenolic base resin material. Suitable sealers 42 are adapted to contact the surfaces of rollers 32, 34 so as to form a vaportight seal in conjunction with the surface covers 44 on developer portion 10.

The rollers 32, 34 are adapted to be driven in counterrotative relationship in the direction of arrow A by motor drive means (not shown). Consequently, sensitized copy paper, which is to be developed in developer portion 10, is inserted into the nip or bight 46 between rollers 32, 34 so as to be conveyed into passageway 28. As may be well known in the art, walls 20 and 24 which constitute the passageway 28 for the copy paper, may be formed of a perforated material to permit the flow of developer or ammonia solution into contacting and developing engagement with the copy paper.

As the copy paper passes between rollers 32 and 34, it frequently tends to curl or adhere to the surface of either roller 32 or 34. In order to remove the copy paper from the rollers, 32, 34 and guide it into passageway 28, the present invention provides upper and lower guide surfaces 50, both of which are identical so that only one will be described hereinbelow. The guide surface 50, referring in particular to FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings, consists of a sheet metal member made of flexible material, such as, for example, spring tempered stainless steel having a leading edge portion 52 and a slightly bent guide surface portion 54. Adjacent to each corner of guide surface portion 54, a pin 56 is mounted thereon so as to be generally normal thereto. Pins 56 are adapted to project through apertures 58 in walls 20 and 24 of developer portion 10. The apertures 58 are somewhat larger than pins 56 so that guide surfaces are capable of a limited degree of movement or flexibility relative to the developer portion 10. As a result, thermal deformations of walls 20 and 2-4 will not, to any untoward degree, affect the positioning of guide surfaces 50, the latter of which form a generally funnel-shaped passageway 60 between rollers 32, 34 and passageway 28.

In order to maintain the leading edge portions 52 of upper and lower guide surfaces 50 in contacting engagement, respectively, with rollers 32 and 34, a plurality of brackets 62 may be fastened or welded on leading edge portions 52. Somewhat similar brackets or hook members 64 may be attached to the walls 16 and 20 by suitable threaded fasteners 66. Brackets 62 and 64 may include apertures or eyelets 68 adapted to receive the end portions of a tension coil spring 70. As may be readily ascertained, the pull of upper coil springs 70 will maintain upper leading edge portions 52 in contact with surface 40 on roller 32, while lower coil springs 70 maintain the lower leading edge portions 52 in contact with the surface 40 of lower roller 34, thus enabling positive contact and alignment at all times between edge portions 52 and surface 40.

Since the rollers 32, 34 which extend between side walls 30 of developer portion 10 may be of considerable length due to the width of the reproduction machine, e.g. 48 inches or more, eccentricities may appear during rotation of the roller which could conceivably cause one end of leading edge portions 52 to lose contact with surfaces 40 on one or the other of the rollers. Accordingly, an important aspect of the present invention lies in providing a plurality of relatively short guide surface members 50 extending in closely spaced relationship side-by-side along the length of rollers 32, 34. For example, four guide surface members 50, each approximately 11 /2 inches in width, may be positioned along the length of roller 32, while four similar guide surface members 50 may be positioned in parallel spaced relationship along the length of roller 34. Each of the individual guide surface member segments may have three coil springs 70 attached thereto, one. at each end and one in the center, so as to impart a balanced biasing force on the leading edge portions 52 contacting rollers 32, 34. It is noted, however, that the spacing and quantities of guide surface members and coil springs described above is only illustrative and may be varied as required by the particular apparatus application.

It should also be understood that the foregoing relates to only a preferred embodiment of the invention, and that it is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for the purpose of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a photocopy reproduction apparatus having a developer portion, and including a pair of cooperative infeed rollers adapted to convey copy paper into said developer portion, a pick-off and guide device adapted to remove copy paper tending to adhere to the surfaces of said infeed rollers during conveyance thereof, said device comprising;

copy paper guide means mounted on said developer portion, said guide means including leading edge portions contacting the peripheral surfaces of said infeed rollers, and

resilient tensioning means interconnecting said leading edge portions and said developer portion so as to bias said leading edge portions towards said infeed rollers, and maintain a compressive contacting relationship between said leading edge portions and said infeed roller surfaces,

wherein said guide means comprises a flexible member,

said member having a first portion adapted to be .fastened to said developer portion, and a second portion adapted to provide a leading edge surface contacting said infeed roller surfaces,

wherein said first sheet metal portion includes upstanding pin members, said pin members being adapted to project through apertures in said developer portion, and

said apertures are larger than the diameters of said pin members so as to permit some movement between said sheet metal guide means and said developer portion.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 including first bracket means fastened to said developer portion, and second bracket means fastened to said second sheet metal portion,

said resilient tensioning means comprising a tension coil spring interconnecting said first and second bracket means.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said sheet metal guide means includes a plurality of tension springs adapted to interconnect a plurality of spaced bracket means on said developer portion and on said second sheet metal portion.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 including a plurality of said pick-off devices positioned in side-by-side relationship so as to extend over substantially the axial length of each of said infeed rollers.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said pair of infeed rollers comprise an upper and a lower roller,

a plurality of said pick-off devices being adapted to contact the surface of said upper roller, and a parallel spaced plurality of pick-off devices being adapted to contact the surface of said lower roller,

said upper and lower pick-off devices forming a passageway for conveying said copy paper therebetween.

6 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS RICHARD E. AEGERTER, Primary Examiner 

